Post by 504gld on Feb 7, 2005 20:06:11 GMT
When I decided I wanted another car, I had it set in my heart a French classic. This would be the sixth car that I have owned, and would replace my Fiat Punto Bertone Cabriolet, itself a future classic for somebody. The car I thought would be it, was Citroen DS, but thoughts of where do I start for a first time restoration boggled my mind. I had always loved the lines of Peugeot, having already previously owned a 1987 205 XLD, and a 1993 106 XND, so only one other car sprung to mind, the wonderful 504. Why? I need good reliable everyday transport, comfortable on long journeys and something you don’t see everyday.
I started my search in August 2004 and instantly found a LHD model for sale locally, for £500, with MOT, which had sold before I could view it, the vendor later told me “it was rough!”. Then I found Club Peugeot UK’s website, for sale 1978 Peugeot 504 GL saloon with a diesel engine, in Wiltshire near to my parents. I arranged to view the car several days later, it was still available. Accompanying me was my Uncle (Talbot Lotus Sunbeam), who later turned out to know the vendor, and here is where the plot thickens.
We spotted the 504 parked in a barn, looking very tidy. Indeed all original panels, rust free apart from a few blisters. I started to examine the car, whilst my Uncle not overly keen on 504s chatted to the vendor. All seemed extraordinarily good, apart from a hole in each door bottom, but perfect skins. The engine bay was dirty, and the hefty 2304cc Indenor diesel rather smoky on tick over. We were invited to view the car on ramps, which revealed parked in a garage another pristine 504 saloon, which we pushed out of the way!
Once underneath the car I was able to fully examine the underside. There was a makeshift exhaust, but apart from the how ever much I knocked and hammered no obvious rot! The rear exhaust shield had disintegrated, and the handbrake cables looked somewhat dubious, but all good news otherwise apart from a lot of mud in places. We were treated to a drive along the private road adjacent to the property, and the vendor sped off with us as passengers. I noted the speedometer failed to function so I am unsure how fast we were going, with a roaring diesel and iffy exhaust it seemed quite a pace!
The car was first registered with the index EGF495T on 1st August 1978 to a Mr. George Russell of Southdown Park, Bath, then being sold to Mrs Patricia Wainwright of Dunkerton, Bath on 9th August 1990. The vendor was selling the car on behalf of the family of Mr. Mike Hillier of Chippenham, and tells us the 504 ended up with him, in a deal with (the late), Basil Wadman (Fussell Wadman Peugeot Dealers of Lavington/Cherton). The car had apparently started developing automatic transmission problems and been declared uneconomical to put right, this happening post 1990. The 504 was fitted with a another engine and gearbox, a 2.3 diesel and 4 speed manual believed to be from another 504, by Mr. Hillier. The project was never finished, and the car lay dormant in one of his barns for 10 years.
I knew this was the car for me, a simple diesel engine, no fussy electrics, and rust free body. There was also the last owner, Mr. Hillier who was co-driver to Basil Wadman in his rally car, and both gentlemen had known my parents, and many family members. After purchasing the 504, I collected it with the help of my father on his lorry a couple of days later. When we picked it up, the vendor showed me in to another barn, and there stood a 504 V6 Coupe Rally Car, and a 504 Cabriolet. I was gob smacked, but settled for the more humble GL. We loaded ‘her’ up and set off home, the first journey in 10 years outside of its old home.
Within the next two days I had created my work plan of what I needed to do to get the car through an MOT starting with giving it a name, which is Zandra. I then set about some basic work, cleaning up the car in general with the jet wash, which showed immaculate wheel arches, and thankfully no rot. The engine was serviced with an oil change, cleaning the air filter and renewing the broken bonnet cable. The visual blisters were removed and rust eater applied. All the work was done on weekends, and with winter setting in it was slow at times. I used the original 1968 French Peugeot parts catalogue displayed on www.504.org to list out all the parts I knew I would need, then went to Fussell Wadman Peugeot in Devizes to see what was available. Despite having 1960s part numbers, many of the service items I needed were available, including suspension bushes, bonnet cable, washers. Thank goodness for 504.org, the dealer had lost their microfiche!
After the general service, next was the rear end, the spare wheel carrier was removed, and the remains of the exhaust shield. Out came the fuel tank, which revealed slight attention was needed to the rear valance, a hole about an inch square had appeared. It was treated with rust eater, and repaired. Next the entire underside of the boot floor was Hammerite painted, and the fuel tank painted and refitted, which of course started to leak! A repair later with Supersteel and all was well, followed by refitting the wheel carrier.
end of part one
I started my search in August 2004 and instantly found a LHD model for sale locally, for £500, with MOT, which had sold before I could view it, the vendor later told me “it was rough!”. Then I found Club Peugeot UK’s website, for sale 1978 Peugeot 504 GL saloon with a diesel engine, in Wiltshire near to my parents. I arranged to view the car several days later, it was still available. Accompanying me was my Uncle (Talbot Lotus Sunbeam), who later turned out to know the vendor, and here is where the plot thickens.
We spotted the 504 parked in a barn, looking very tidy. Indeed all original panels, rust free apart from a few blisters. I started to examine the car, whilst my Uncle not overly keen on 504s chatted to the vendor. All seemed extraordinarily good, apart from a hole in each door bottom, but perfect skins. The engine bay was dirty, and the hefty 2304cc Indenor diesel rather smoky on tick over. We were invited to view the car on ramps, which revealed parked in a garage another pristine 504 saloon, which we pushed out of the way!
Once underneath the car I was able to fully examine the underside. There was a makeshift exhaust, but apart from the how ever much I knocked and hammered no obvious rot! The rear exhaust shield had disintegrated, and the handbrake cables looked somewhat dubious, but all good news otherwise apart from a lot of mud in places. We were treated to a drive along the private road adjacent to the property, and the vendor sped off with us as passengers. I noted the speedometer failed to function so I am unsure how fast we were going, with a roaring diesel and iffy exhaust it seemed quite a pace!
The car was first registered with the index EGF495T on 1st August 1978 to a Mr. George Russell of Southdown Park, Bath, then being sold to Mrs Patricia Wainwright of Dunkerton, Bath on 9th August 1990. The vendor was selling the car on behalf of the family of Mr. Mike Hillier of Chippenham, and tells us the 504 ended up with him, in a deal with (the late), Basil Wadman (Fussell Wadman Peugeot Dealers of Lavington/Cherton). The car had apparently started developing automatic transmission problems and been declared uneconomical to put right, this happening post 1990. The 504 was fitted with a another engine and gearbox, a 2.3 diesel and 4 speed manual believed to be from another 504, by Mr. Hillier. The project was never finished, and the car lay dormant in one of his barns for 10 years.
I knew this was the car for me, a simple diesel engine, no fussy electrics, and rust free body. There was also the last owner, Mr. Hillier who was co-driver to Basil Wadman in his rally car, and both gentlemen had known my parents, and many family members. After purchasing the 504, I collected it with the help of my father on his lorry a couple of days later. When we picked it up, the vendor showed me in to another barn, and there stood a 504 V6 Coupe Rally Car, and a 504 Cabriolet. I was gob smacked, but settled for the more humble GL. We loaded ‘her’ up and set off home, the first journey in 10 years outside of its old home.
Within the next two days I had created my work plan of what I needed to do to get the car through an MOT starting with giving it a name, which is Zandra. I then set about some basic work, cleaning up the car in general with the jet wash, which showed immaculate wheel arches, and thankfully no rot. The engine was serviced with an oil change, cleaning the air filter and renewing the broken bonnet cable. The visual blisters were removed and rust eater applied. All the work was done on weekends, and with winter setting in it was slow at times. I used the original 1968 French Peugeot parts catalogue displayed on www.504.org to list out all the parts I knew I would need, then went to Fussell Wadman Peugeot in Devizes to see what was available. Despite having 1960s part numbers, many of the service items I needed were available, including suspension bushes, bonnet cable, washers. Thank goodness for 504.org, the dealer had lost their microfiche!
After the general service, next was the rear end, the spare wheel carrier was removed, and the remains of the exhaust shield. Out came the fuel tank, which revealed slight attention was needed to the rear valance, a hole about an inch square had appeared. It was treated with rust eater, and repaired. Next the entire underside of the boot floor was Hammerite painted, and the fuel tank painted and refitted, which of course started to leak! A repair later with Supersteel and all was well, followed by refitting the wheel carrier.
end of part one
